By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

COLD SPRING, Ky. — It has been said animals have calming, therapeutic effects on people. Perhaps few can attest to that like the workers at Campbell Lodge Boys’ Home in northern Kentucky.

The young residents have access to three residential cottages, a gym, baseball field and fishing pond. But the new therapeutic riding stables has been credited with turning many of these young lives around.

“We quickly learned that the horses play an integral part in what we’re doing here,” said facility therapist Lorna Shepherd. “I’ve seen firsthand how the horses help the children open up their personalities. Working with the horses has helped the boys get rid of any anger that they have inside and, in many cases, the horses have helped with their self esteem.”

Campbell Lodge Boys’ Home was founded in 1958 as a residential alternative for neglected or dependent young men ages 9-18. With its 115 sprawling acres that overlook the Ohio River, this Cold Spring facility has been home to more than 1,500 young men. Last year the facility served 63 residents.

“Many of the boys have never been around horses and they come here and really become skilled,” Shepherd said. “We’ve had some boys leave the home and pursue jobs in the equine industry.”

Started in 2006, equine-assisted counseling (EAC) is a unique therapy program offered to all residents. Research in the neurosciences indicates that experiential therapies such as EAC are often preferable to traditional avenues for adolescents who don’t have fully developed capacities for abstract thinking.

The use of horses in treatment virtually eliminates the stigma of traditional talk therapy and creates a nonthreatening environment for the boys to openly explore alternative means of addressing their feelings and behaviors.

Campbell Lodge Boys’ Home is the only children’s home in northern Kentucky that offers equine-assisted services for all residents. The boys’ home raised approximately $700,000 to fund the construction of the 2,200 square-foot riding center, which includes indoor and outdoor riding.

“It’s been a community effort,” said Barry Jones, executive director of Campbell Lodge. “People have donated money, tack, saddles, hay and even horses.”

According to officials, breaking down communication barriers is critical to providing therapy to at-risk youth. EAC will put children in a nontraditional counseling arena, with an increased chance of open and honest dialogue.

“Boys are admitted to the home with a growing complexity of issues that need to be addressed in a relatively short period of time,” Jones said. “Services are structured to address the needs of our residents by offering a treatment program that includes a balanced blend of counseling and therapy, the teaching of social skills and milieu-based opportunities for the enhancement of academic skills.

“The therapy with the horses provides them with an environment more conducive to spontaneity, as well as providing the therapist the ability to observe the child’s behavior and interactions with the horse and others.”

According to officials at the center, 42 percent of residents experienced a reduction in clinical concerns as a result of the equine-assisted therapy and 64 percent of those successfully completed a rigorous and competency-based program that prepared them for entry level positions in the equine industry.

For more information about the center, call 859-781-1214 or visit www.unbri dledhopeforboys.com